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Patricia is a tenacious tech entrepreneur with over 15 years of executive experience. Prior to joining Data Science Alliance, she was the CEO and co-founder of NotesFirst, a cloud-based platform that helps doctors capture and improve the quality of health data in emerging markets of the world. She was selected as a Fellow and Speaker at the 2018 Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit held by the United Nations in New York City, and was featured in Forbes’ “60 Women-Led Startups That Are Shaking Up Tech Across The Globe”. At the age of 21, Patricia started her first company, LFC Solutions.Net – the first online accounting platform in the Philippines. With her boundless energy and passion for Responsible Data Science, she is determined to help DSA grow.
When Gina says she’s managed a circus, it isn’t a metaphor. She was the resident stage manager for the San Diego based Lindley Lopez Circus for half a decade. Gina’s career is grounded in creating systems that facilitate the success of the leaders around her, and in anticipating and executing the needs of the organizations she serves. After her circus days, she served as the program manager for Canopy San Diego, a business accelerator for the legal cannabis market in Southern California. Gina currently serves as the main point of contact for the Properties division of Keshif LLC. She also assists in the Startup Investment and Philanthropic divisions of Keshif, helping run the new show in town – DSA.
Data scientist, startup pioneer, and DSA founder Taner Halıcıoğlu has always been fluent in the practical and the visionary. To solve intractable problems, he embraces both. Taner practiced the art of data science before it had a name - leveraging data in concert with his skills as a software developer and systems engineer, helping tech giants Cisco, LoudCloud and eBay scale their capacity to match their goals. He continued to turn founders’ visions into realities when he joined Facebook as its first full time employee. As a software and operations engineer, Taner architected key hardware and software infrastructure that enabled the social network’s explosive growth, laying the groundwork for its now more than 2.5 billion users worldwide. After leaving Facebook in 2009, he was recruited to launch Starcraft 2 successfully for Blizzard - a dream job for a longtime gamer and worldbuilder. In 2017 he established the Halicioglu Data Science Institute at his alma mater UCSD, to expand the practice of data science to solve problems worldwide.
Dr. Ilkay Altintas earned the moniker “Lady of Fire” for her groundbreaking work using real time data to predict and contain wildfires. However, as Chief Data Science Officer of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, it’s hardly the first thing she’s set ablaze. At UCSD, Ilkay is Chief Data Science Officer of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and Founder and Director of the Workflows for Data Science (WoRDs) Center. Ilkay’s research has performed drug testing simulations to isolate genes to fight cancer, created tools being used to build the world’s first commercial scale fusion reactor, and designed modular workflows to analyze the human biome. She is a scientist’s scientist—her innovation accelerating the process of discovery for others. Ilkay is also an educator, teaching the next generation of big data experts as a Fellow at the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute and breaking sign-up records with her Big Data Specialization MOOC course for learners worldwide. She faces her toughest students, however, when she testifies before Members of Congress, providing instruction on the impact and value of national investment in science.
Before Dr. Bradley Voytek was a respected UCSD Professor and neuroscientist, he was a renegade data scientist revolutionizing transportation at Uber. Brought in to bring direction to the chaos at the nascent startup, he helped Uber use data to change how we move through cities worldwide. Following his exit, Brad dusted off his PhD in Neuroscience from UC Berkeley determined to bring a data scientist’s acumen to traditional research. By aggregating and examining the data of fellow neuroscientists, his award winning research has isolated neural activity critical to understanding cognition and disease. An evangelist for the power of data science to create cross disciplinary advances, Brad serves as both a start-up investor and advisor. Cognizant of the need to build a pipeline of talent in the field, he also teaches the next generation of data scientists as a founding faculty member at the Halıcıoglu Data Science Institute and the Neurosciences Graduate Program at UC San Diego. Brad also moonlights as a consultant to the United States National Academy of Sciences Science & Entertainment Exchange - aiding and abetting the talents of writers and filmmakers in their portrayals of science.
Not many people who understand cognitive neuroscience become attorneys, and not many attorneys become founders. Nedim Halicioğlu has defied the odds. Comfortable wearing both the hats of investor and entrepreneur, Ned has founded several startups, and evaluated the prospects of hundreds more with the head of a researcher and the heart of a founder. Ned has an eye for finding and elevating talent, and brings an attorney’s acuity to the companies he shepherds. Having conducted research and practiced medical litigation, he applies his understanding of each to evaluating early stage companies. Ned currently handles investment strategies for Keshif Ventures, LLC and serves on the board of NotesFirst, Inc, a state-of-the-art medical record app bringing access to underserved communities and emerging markets around the world. Continuing to confound norms as a composer, Ned’s genre is digital music - when in life he is more of a metalhead.
Hayley is an innovator, designer, and engineer. She recently finished her Master's in Information Science at Cornell University and has a Bachelor's in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of Toronto. Hayley loves creating information systems that are designed around people's needs and abilities. She spent several years researching how people interact with computers and enjoys creating content that explains complex ideas in a way that's easy to understand. Now at DSA, Hayley is looking forward to using her wide range of skills and creative ideas in the data science community.
Colin is a new graduate from UC San Diego with a degree in Data Science. With a keen interest in machine learning and data analytics, Colin’s work includes a project that won an award from the Data Science Department of UCSD for developing an LSTM model to predict sepsis. His project portfolio also includes collaborating on a suicide prevention project utilizing diverse data sources. Colin is passionate about applying machine learning in healthcare and is deeply committed to data ethics, striving to help organizations use data correctly and responsibly. Proficient in SQL, Python, and Java, Colin aims to leverage his skills to make a positive impact in the field of data science.
Originally from Northern California, Orion moved to San Diego to study biochemistry at UC San Diego. After some time, he found his passion in design, thus he is currently an undergraduate majoring in cognitive science with a specialization in design and interaction and a minor in psychology. Using his degree, he hopes to enter UI/UX design within the gaming industry to improve accessibility and provide equitable experiences amongst large user populations. Recently, he has found a new interest in game design as well! In his personal time, he dances within the San Diego dance community, serving as a captain for an SD-based dance team. Additionally, he does photography as a side hobby—his current fixation is taking cityscape and portrait images!
We value the unique perspectives and ideas that arise from a diverse and inclusive community.
We strive for honesty and transparency in our projects and operations.
We are dedicated to nurturing a community that is engaged with our mission. We aim to develop as individuals and as a team, inspired to learn, innovate, and collaborate.
We work to stay ahead of the curve as Responsible Data Science knowledge and practices are ever-evolving.
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Be a part of the RDS movement. Help us foster awareness and grow our impact. Let us know how you’d like to apply your background and expertise to our projects!
Fall internship applications are now open! Apply by July 19, 2024.
The internship is roughly 10 weeks long from mid-September to mid-November. All interns must be able to work 15-20 hours/week. This is a hybrid position with one day per week at our office in Point Loma. Paid and volunteer positions are offered.
We have a variety of internship opportunities available, from working on our community data projects to helping build our educational video game. Whether you’re pursuing a career in data science or graphic design, there’s a place for you here at DSA.
Please read the job summaries below and click the links for the full descriptions and applications!
DSA is currently building a video game that will teach a younger audience about data science and the importance of RDS. We’re looking for creative and talented 2D Game Design Interns to join our game development team. As a 2D Game Design Intern, you will work on creating game assets such as characters, environments, and other visual elements that enhance the player experience. You will assist in the creation of character and environment concepts, designs, and animations, and you’ll develop and refine 2D/3D assets.
We’re also looking for a Programming Intern to join our game development team. You will work closely with DSA’s core team to design and implement game mechanics, develop game features, and ensure the game's technical performance and stability. You will assist in the development of game mechanics and features using Godot, and you will write code in C#/GDScript. This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a professional game development environment.
For the Website/Front-End Development Intern role, we are looking for someone to assist with our website development projects. You should have experience in front-end development, particularly with React, HTML, and CSS. You will assist in migrating the DSA website from Webflow to React; develop responsive web pages using React, HTML, and CSS; and collaborate with designers and developers to integrate UI/UX designs.
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